Shock strut shrinking system
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorAdam J. Ditzler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for shrinking landing gear includes a shock strut having a cylinder and a piston to be received by the cylinder. The system further includes a collar coupled to a brace linkage and the piston, a torque arm configured to resist rotation between the collar and the piston, and a shrink linkage coupled between the torque arm and the cylinder. The collar rotates relative to the cylinder in response to retraction of the landing gear. Rotation of the collar rotates the piston and the torque arm relative to the cylinder. The rotation of the collar relative to the cylinder forces, via the shrink linkage, the piston towards the aircraft attachment within the cylinder.
Claims20
A system for use with landing gear, the system comprising:
- a shock strut having a cylinder, a piston, a collar, and a torque arm coupled between the piston and the collar, wherein the piston, the torque arm, and the collar rotate together about a longitudinal axis of the shock strut with respect to the cylinder;
- and
- a shrink linkage having a first end and a second end, the first end is configured to be pivotally coupled to the torque arm and the second end is configured to be pivotally coupled to the cylinder;
- wherein the shrink linkage is configured to force the piston into the cylinder in response to the collar rotating with respect to the cylinder.
A system for use with landing gear having an aircraft attachment, the system comprising:
- a shock strut having a cylinder and a piston configured to be at least partially received by the cylinder;
- a collar configured to be rotatably mounted to the cylinder;
- a brace linkage configured to be coupled to the collar in order to lock the landing gear in a deployed position, and to fold towards the shock strut during retraction of the landing gear;
- a torque arm configured to resist rotation between the collar and the piston so as to cause the collar and the piston to rotate together with respect to the cylinder, wherein the torque arm extends between the collar and the piston;
- and
- a shrink linkage configured to be coupled between the torque arm and the cylinder;
- wherein the collar is configured to rotate relative to the cylinder in response to folding of the brace linkage such that rotation of the collar rotates the piston and the torque arm relative to the cylinder, the rotation of the collar relative to the cylinder forces, via the shrink linkage, the piston towards the aircraft attachment within the cylinder.
An aircraft comprising:
- a landing gear having an aircraft attachment for pivotally coupling the landing gear to the aircraft, the landing gear comprising:
- a shock strut having a cylinder and a piston configured to be at least partially received by the cylinder;
- a collar configured to be rotatably mounted to the cylinder;
- a brace linkage configured to be coupled to the collar in order to lock the landing gear in a deployed position, and to fold towards the shock strut during retraction of the landing gear;
- a torque arm configured to resist rotation between the collar and the piston so as to cause the collar and the piston to rotate together with respect to the cylinder, wherein the torque arm extends between the collar and the piston;
- and
- a shrink linkage configured to be coupled between the torque arm and the cylinder;
- wherein the collar is configured to rotate relative to the cylinder in response to folding of the brace linkage such that rotation of the collar rotates the piston and the torque arm relative to the cylinder, the rotation of the collar relative to the cylinder forcing the piston towards the aircraft attachment within the cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.